Fish Stories

A magic trip to Lesotho - Sue Babich

Between 27th Dec & 3rd Jan, Trevor and I got away with a couple of friends and spent some time fly fishing at Sterkfontein Dam in The Free State 45 kgs from Harrismith, we were extremely lucky with the weather and managed to fish a full 6 hour section 29th Dec before a storm chased us back to shore.   Not many fish were caught but this is a magic Dam and crystal clear water for sight fishing the Yellow Fish both large mouth and small but mainly small.   

From Sterkfontein we went up to Fouriesburg spent the night at the delightful Country Inn with excellent food and a totally unique wine menu being a very cool and musky cellar, of which the walls are surrounded with old wooden wine racks filled with great SA liquid grape, lovely.

The owner of the Hotel Michael, allowed us to leave the boat plus Chris & Rae's car in the car park, whilst we were away in Lesotho for the next 4 days.

Lesotho is a most beautiful unspoilt Mountain Kingdom, the people are not rich in monitory terms, but rich in so many other ways a child like innocence that modern westerners have forgot or have never known. Running through this gentle country of mountains, waterfalls and heaven sent scenery, there is a killer - a enemy that no one can see HIV and AIDS, it is believed that 30 to 40% of the adult population has this killer disease.  

The air is clean with very little industry, the water oozes out of the mountain sponges and forms waterfalls and streams that bring life to Basotho, this water has to be just the purest cleanest water in the world, there is little or no pollution what so ever  in the rural areas and the people are just so helpful, friendly and have to be the most gentle most graceful nation I have ever met their dancing is totally unique with out an aggressive movement.

Our purpose for the visit was to see Katse Dam which claims the highest dam wall in Africa 185 metres from top to bottom 60 metres stretch at the foot and 700 metre stretch at the top to be the more technical Katse Dam is a double concrete wall standing at 185m from an elevation of about 1990m above sea level. Full supply level at 2053 masl. Minimum operating level - 1900 masl.    

We had a very interesting 2 hour guided tour over the wall and into the wall.   Katse along with Mohale Dam is part of the Highland Water Project Phase 1 A & B, which is now complete The two countries RSA and Lesotho are now negotiating Phase 2. There is a pipe system where by water is pumped back to the charming village of Klarens in South Africa into the Wilge River system and on down to Vaal Dam.

Katse Dam and Mohale Dam are fed by two main rivers The Senqu and The Senqunyane River (Small Orange River) they both flow out of Lesotho and become The Orange River. No recreational activities are allow on either of these Dams, what so ever, so any idea of Babich's fishing in these pristine waters was squashed before it began, although all was not lost with a fishing permit one can fish any of the small rivers and stream throughout the country.

Our permits purchased at the top of the Mafika Lisiu Pass 3090 meters above sea level at the start of the Bokong National Reserve, at a very helpful (difficult to see, find or even know it was there) Information Center, which can a kettle, fresh bread and provided us with a much needed plate of fresh sandwiches and a cup of tea and a view to die for.

One thing we found in Lesotho, if you are not on a guided tour but traveling on your own, the sign posts on the side of the roads to help guide one are non existant

You can fish in any of the rivers and the fish species to be found  are the indigenous Yellow fish and the exotic Trout rainbow and Brown, which where introduced into the Natal river systems late the 19th century and have bred now into the river systems all over.

Lesotho is a very poor country and everything appears to be imported from SA although the country earns great royalties each month for supplying Gauteng with water.   Thanks to the water project Lesotho has managed to electrify the whole country so that is a major plus for the nation, the water goes to South Africa and Lesotho got electricity and the very expensive ESCOM power has now become a back up .

The rugged mountainous terrain does not lend its self to fast travel and that in its self was a pleasure. If you want to have an unusual break away for 4 to 5 days Lesotho and its people will welcome you with an open heart .   We did not venture into the Urban areas but, I am sure they would be a hive of sounds and smells, the good, the bad and the ugly, as with any African City intimidating but with a curious excitement of danger and the unknown.

We stayed at The Katse Lodge which is often snowed bound in winter. The roads to the Dams are tarred and in excellent condition, one can quite safely travel these roads with an ordinary family car, off road is a totally different story.

Sue

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